Almost 13 years after the debut of Portal 2, followers of the beloved first-person puzzle sport had been presupposed to be rewarded with the Jan. 5 launch of a prequel marketing campaign from Second Face Software program. The fan-made mod, dubbed Portal: Revolution, will add over eight hours of gameplay and 40 new test chambers to the sequel sport.
As a substitute, those that opened Steam immediately had been met with a disappointing announcement from the game’s devs in lieu of recent Portal content material.
“Proper off the bat, I wish to say that the sport is completed,” the message reads. “We might ship at any second, however Valve has but to evaluate and settle for the sport for launch.”
The observe continues on to elucidate how all video games on Steam are beholden to a evaluate course of by Valve earlier than builders may even have the choice to punch the discharge button. The Portal: Revolution builders first submitted their construct for evaluate Dec. 20 however had but to listen to again from Valve earlier than the mod’s meant Jan. 5 launch date.
“Though we’re achieved on our half, we will’t ship,” the builders wrote. “In hindsight, we must always have seen this coming and we positively realized [our] lesson to not ship throughout holidays once more.”
The builders acknowledged that they had been, certainly, warned prematurely by Steam Assist that decreased staffing throughout the vacation season results in for much longer evaluate occasions. Every other time of yr, this course of usually takes between 2-3 enterprise days, in accordance with the Portal: Revolution builders, although it is suggested video games be submitted at the very least two weeks earlier than their delivery date.
Because the announcement was being posted to the Steam storefront, the Portal: Revolution staff heard again from Valve that the construct is now below evaluate. As soon as accepted, the sport devs mentioned they might replace followers with a revised launch date.
We’re unsure what’s worse: having to remain affected person for the mod’s inevitable debut or the actual fact it is prepared and easily not accessible. Both approach, it is a unhappy day for Portal followers.
The excellent news? This marketing campaign goes to be nicely definitely worth the wait. Eight hours of further gameplay almost qualifies this community-built mod as a full-length sport in its personal proper. Plus, the brand new puzzles will pressure gamers to suppose outdoors the field (or quite, Companion Dice) by using present mechanics in a distinctive approach.
Set between the occasions of Portal and Portal 2, the brand new content material will ship gamers again to the tattered ruins of Aperture laboratories. On the sport’s onset, you awake as a check topic whose mission is to search out a system that may restore the power.
“Portal: Revolutions puzzle problem begins the place Portal 2 stops,” in accordance with the sport’s builders, although difficult new mechanics will probably be taught to gamers as they go alongside, much like the unique video games.
To play the upcoming mod, gamers might want to have Portal 2 beforehand put in. If you do not have it already, the game is on sale for $0.99 on Steam until Jan. 11.
Katie Reul is a freelance journalist whose leisure reporting has been featured in IGN and Selection.